News and Events

Researchers behind discoveries that led to vaccines for the virus that causes COVID-19 have identified a potential Achilles heel that exists in all coronaviruses. These findings, led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, could aid the development of improved treatments for COVID-19 and also protect against existing and emerging coronaviruses.

The UT Austin Cockrell School of Engineering (CSE) kicked off its first-ever diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) Seed Grants program this year and awarded four biomedical engineering programs for their efforts. 

UT Austin Biomedical Engineering Professor Dr. Mia K. Markey discussed her career as a scientist, researcher, and professor in a male-dominated space; offering advice to other female scientists about how they can navigate similar challenges.

A research group in the UT Austin Biomedical Engineering Department is examining how to improve the efficacy of skin cancer detection and removal.

The current standard procedure, known as Mohs micrographic surgery, is considered quite accurate. However, it requires a full laboratory adjacent to the procedure room to determine if the physician successfully removed the full tumor.

UT Austin biomedical engineering associate professor Jeanne Stachowiak, Ph.D. received the 2023 Michael and Kate Bárány Award for her paradigm-shifting discovery in the field of membrane biophysics. Her research unveils how cells control the shape and content of their membranes.

Two UT Austin Biomedical Engineering graduate students received the prestigious American Heart Association (AHA) Predoctoral Fellowship Award. 

A collaboration between UT Austin professor of biomedical engineering Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernández and Dr. Mehdi Razavi of the Texas Heart Institute is showing promise to prevent fatal arrhythmias—one of the leading causes of cardiac arrest.  

The Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) elected professor of biomedical engineering Pengyu Ren, Ph.D., as a 2022 AAAS Fellow.

Nanshu Lu, Frank and Kay Reese Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, has been elected a fellow member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for “inventing wearable e-tattoos for biometric sensing and soft e-skins for soft robots to gain human-like sensations.” Fellows are selected for their exceptional achievements in engineering and contributions to their field and to ASME. Only approximately 4% of ASME members are fellows, making the distinction among the highest in the society.

Nearly two years after COVID-19 vaccines entered widespread use, featuring technology from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, the Cockrell School of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences have launched Texas Biologics, a cross-disciplinary effort made up of world-renowned faculty members and researchers working across all areas of therapeutics.